1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to administration and maintenance of large computer centers and, more particularly, to the mapping of computer center rooms and locating data center components within a computer center.
2. Background Description
The modern computer center is a complex place. Computers of different types and purposes abound, many are critical to the correct operation of the infrastructure, and most are vitally important to one or more business functions. A significant problem in such modern computer centers is that of machine location. “Where is machine frobnitz.foobar.com?” is a question that might at first seem strange but, to anyone who has worked inside such a computer center, is entirely understandable. In hosting centers, where thousands of machines sit tightly packed on rack after rack, locating “fronbnitx.foobar.com” suddenly becomes daunting—even when all the machines are correctly labeled.
There is really only one traditional solution to this problem—using a map, or a coordinate-based system, indexed by machine name. The map or coordinates are maintained manually; that is to say, when a new computer is added to the computer center, or a computer already within the center is repurposed, the map is updated by a system administrator. For example, “corridor 7, rack 10, computer 8” might represent the location of “frobnitz.foobar.com” in one possible coordinate system. Coupled with clear labeling of the corridors, racks, and computers, this helps administrators find the machine in question.
This system can be extended by using modern network equipment whereby it is possible, from an administrative computer, to determine to which piece(s) of networking hardware (routers, hubs, switches, etc.) the machine “frobnitz.foobar.com” is connected. Provided that the computer center has been laid out in a logical fashion, this information will help the administrator locate the machine, but only in association with a map or coordinate index.
Such coordinate systems tend to break down. They are highly likely to fall out of synchronization with reality, as machines get repurposed and moved around. Such errors immediately doom the system to failure. As soon as the coordinate system or map starts to become incorrect, the people will stop updating it, and it will become more and more inaccurate over a small period of time.